Bristol boss Pat Lam believes his Gallagher Premiership leaders should be unbeaten after the first block of six league games.
Lam’s team moved back to the Premiership summit with a 31-23 bonus-point victory over champions Northampton at Ashton Gate.
It left Bristol with 24 points from a possible 30, but it would have been even better had they not suffered agonising late defeats in high-scoring encounters against Saracens and Gloucester.
“We should be undefeated. We lost in the 82nd minute last week (to Saracens), and we had a late dropped ball against Gloucester, so we knew we just had to finish things off,” Lam said.
“Everybody said we were going to be eighth, ninth or 10th this season, and we are obviously not.
“We have started the six rounds really well. I genuinely believe we should be sitting here on 30 points. It is a third of the competition done.”
Centre Kalaveti Ravouvou scored two tries to underpin a hard-earned win, with the west country club not at their free-flowing best, but they still had enough in the tank to triumph.
A fourth win from six league starts was secured after Bristol trailed by 15 points midway through the first half.
Ravouvou’s double on his return from injury kept Bristol on course for maximum points, and there were also touchdowns for wing Gabriel Ibitoye and lock Joe Batley.
Fly-half AJ MacGinty kicked all four conversions and landed a penalty as Bristol ended a run of Premiership games before the autumn Tests in fine shape.
Lam added: “After 23 minutes, we had conceded nine turnovers, four penalties and 15 points – horrendous statistics.
“It was a simple equation at half-time. If we wanted to win the game it was about being disciplined, not just in terms of penalties, but being accurate, and if we did that we would come home strong.”
Northampton, despite being without five players on England squad duty ahead of the autumn internationals, made life difficult and were rewarded with tries for full-back George Hendy, flanker Josh Kemeny and wing James Ramm, while debutant fly-half George Makepeace-Cubitt kicked two penalties and a conversion.
Saints rugby director Phil Dowson said: “There was tons of effort and intent.
“I thought first half we were really good value, but the second half we spent a lot of time in our own half under pressure and that pressure eventually told.
“We worked incredibly hard and gave ourselves opportunities, particularly in the first half, but second half we didn’t really put any pressure on them. I think we could have been further ahead at half-time.”
